How to clean granite with baking soda

Kathryn Hatter

Because your interior granite is so exquisitely beautiful, maintaining this beauty is likely very important to you. Regular cleaning keeps granite in good condition. Although granite does not stain easily, if stains occur, treat them quickly. Make a poultice and apply the poultice to the stain to draw out the stain and restore the beauty of your granite surface. Use baking soda to make a poultice suitable for removing oil-based stains from granite.

Combine a ½ cup of baking soda and enough distilled water to create a thick poultice paste. Mix these two ingredients in the small bowl with the spatula until the ingredients are smooth and completely incorporated.

Moisten a cleaning cloth with distilled water and wipe the surface of the stain on the granite with the moist cloth to get it wet.

Spread the poultice paste onto the moistened stained area with the spatula. Apply the poultice a ½-inch thick, covering the entire area of the stain.

Place a piece of cling film over the poultice-covered area. Tape the edges of the plastic down to the granite to seal the plastic tightly.

Leave the poultice undisturbed over the stain for one day. Remove the cling film after this time and allow the poultice to remain on the stain for one additional day while the poultice dries.

Moisten another cleaning cloth with distilled water and use the cloth to wipe away the dried poultice materials. Continue wiping and rinsing the granite until you remove all remnants of the poultice.

Assess the stained area. If the stain remains, repeat the poultice process up to four more times to draw the stain out of the granite.

Dry the granite area when you finish removing the stain. Buff the granite with a dry, soft cloth to finish the job.

Warning

Always use distilled water on granite surfaces instead of plain tap water because tap water may contain minerals that will harm granite surfaces over time.

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About the Author

Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon.